First ever Saltwater, 90g

[Blom]

Hello guys,

I am fairly new to the forum, first post on canreef. But I have been cruising around learning as much as I can. I have been running a 90g planted Freshwater community tank for just over a year now and have really enjoyed the heck out of it. I find myself very distracted by the tank and find myself running behind on just about everything else cause I get caught staring for hours. So I have decided to try my hand at at saltwater, with this build I am mainly trying to learn as much as I can about the workng of keeping a reef tank. This is because a goal of mine a few years down the road it to have a fairly large tank (350+g).

So I went out and picked up a 90g tank /w a stand from one of the long time members on the forum (kwirky, I am sure I will still be learning through your previous posts on this forum and thanks for the tank.. Solid Stand!!) Also I picked up a new 40g on my way home from for the sump. Ive read, and read, then I read some more. Joined 20000+ forums HA (And seem to receive email form most.. great). Exams just finished for me yesterday so I have some free time to work on the tank, weather allowing. I am planning on getting the 90g drilled at either riverfront or big als here in Calgary and DIY sump. Im just trying to decide how to run the overflow, to herbie or not to herbie that is the question. Im not interested in the gained flow rate as I am planning two drains in both back corners. But I might like the idea of how quite I hear the herbie is. I dont have any other friends on the hobby so I am not overly sure how loud the overflow will be in the first place (Any comments on this topic would be great!). The other thing im trying to work out is whether to drill for the return line or just run it over the top of the tank, I haven't been able to find much on the net about that. Ill use my education to deduce that drilling the tank would lower the hight I have to pump my water which will decrease the head pressure, but realisticly the extra foot could just be tackled by a bigger pump with the money I saved on drilling the two holes. I also imagine that people are doing it for athstetic reasons. So plumbing ideas or tips would be great.

I will continue to post with progress and picture eventually when there is something to take a picture of Thanks in advance for all the comments and help I have already received or I am sure will receive.

Thanks
Tyson